Brokeback Mountain director had Oscar speech cut

By Marc Shoffman • March 7, 2006 - 0:00

The gay cowboy movie is banned in China

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Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee had his Oscar acceptance speech censored by the Chinese media on Sunday, it has been revealed.

Chinese media editors cut certain parts from his speech during the broadcast of the Academy Awards, including references to his native Taiwan and gay issues, as homosexuality is still frowned upon in the country. It was seen as a mental disorder until 2001.

Accepting the award for best director, Mr Lee said, "They taught all of us who made Brokeback Mountain so much about not just all the gay men and women whose love is denied by society, but just as important, the greatness of love itself."

He has been hailed as a national hero in China following his success at the ceremony on Sunday. The gay cowboy movie is banned in China.

Meanwhile, Brokeback Mountain co-writer Laryy McMurtry has blamed Academy members discrimination of rural stories after the film surprisingly lost out on the best picture award to Crash.

He claims urban thriller Crash won because it was based in Los Angeles, where most voters live, "The three rural films (I was involved with) lost. The one urban film, Terms of Endearment, won. Members of the Academy are mostly urban people. Crash was a hometown movie."

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